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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · fork · toast · club · cell · current · kick · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — electric
  6. kick — in football
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. current — of water
  9. toast — bread
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — a permit
  15. club — for golf
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — for dancing
  18. current — happening now
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com